


Loss of the Heart

by Goodnightwife



Series: Tumblr 500 Follower Fic Reqeusts [10]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Fighting, Sadness, injury to reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 12:34:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16954131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goodnightwife/pseuds/Goodnightwife
Summary: How will the team function without its heart? How will Steve function without his love?





	Loss of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to my Tumblr for @tomorraw

Steve cursed as he ran through the forest as fast as his serum enhanced legs would carry him. Comms were down and he couldn’t find you. It wasn’t your first mission, but it was by far the most intense fight you had ever been in. Bucky had been watching out for you, he always had your back when Steve was needed elsewhere, but now Bucky wasn’t even answering. Not wanting to start calling your name and giving away his position, Steve continued to search.

You had been a part of the Avengers for a year now and after only a couple months, had started dating Steve. He had written off the whole settling down idea when he came out of the ice, but meeting you had him doing an about face. He could finally see himself happily settling down with someone with the kids, house, even a white picket fence. He finally allowed himself to dream again. Bucky knew what you meant to Steve, and so must of his protectiveness had transferred to you on Steve’s behalf. Partnering with Steve on missions was declared a conflict of interest, and so you were partnered with Bucky.

But now no one was answering comms. Nat had gone back to the plane to get it ready to take off, Steve just had to find you and Bucky and make it out alive. This should have been an all-hands-on-deck mission instead of just the four of you, but Fury had gotten cocky and Steve’s greatest fear was that you would pay the price for his arrogance. Crunching through the snow covered ground, Steve finally found a trail to follow. A red trail. Hoping it was some HYDRA agent instead of you or Bucky, he followed until he reached the end and his heart dropped out of his chest.

Bucky was laying facedown on the ground, a wound obvious in his thigh and shoulder. Steve reached to Bucky’s neck and found a pulse. Rolling him over, Steve slapped him a couple of times gently on the cheeks, trying to wake him. Slowly, ever so slowly, Bucky’s eyes opened, focused on Steve, and then widened in panic.

“Steve! Steve! Y/N, where is she?!”

“I don’t know yet, Buck, I haven’t found her yet. Where did you last see her?”

“Through there.” Bucky pointed to a dense clump of trees with his metal arm.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Steve stood and left his best friend bleeding in snow to search for the woman who held his heart. Through the trees was a clearing littered with HYDRA agents in various positions on unconsciousness. Some probably just knocked out, others probably dead. Pushing bodies aside, Steve searched for you. Finally, at the other side of the clearing, he found you.

On your side, half buried in snow and a branch that had fallen, you were barely conscious but breathing. Thanking any deity listening, Steve took stock of your injuries. Two gunshot wounds to the abdomen and thighs. Not good. He tried to evaluate if moving you would be even a little bit safe. While he was thinking, your eyes opened.

“Steve?” You whisper, trying to reach out to him.

“I’m here babe, you’re okay,” he held onto your hand as if all his hope rested on your grasp.

“Buck?” You tried to ask.

“He’ll be fine too. Do you think you can move at all? We gotta get out of here.”

“I’m cold.”

“Well,” Steve tried his best to chuckle, “you are laying in the snow.”

“Oh,” you look up into his eyes and make the best decision you can for him. “Pick me up, let’s go.”

“Okay honey, but it’s going to hurt.” Steve tried to be as careful as possible with you, but lifting you hurt like hell and you couldn’t stop the cry that escaped from your lips or the tears that flowed from your eyes. “Alright, Y/N, we’re moving.”

Steve made it back to Bucky, who had dragged himself to stand with the help of a tree. He had found himself a makeshift crutch with a branch. Seeing Y/N in Steve’s arms, eyes open and making noise brought such relief that he almost toppled to the ground again.

“Let’s go, Bucky.” Steve said, not pausing, knowing his friend could keep up.

Making it back to the plane, Nat took off and Steve laid you down on the bed in the back. As the two men began working on you as best they could, darkness began to creep into the outskirts of your vision. Wanting to escape from the pain, you welcomed it. Steve noticed your eyes rolling back in your head and gently slapped your cheeks to bring you back. But the darkness was too close, too enticing, too freeing…. You greeted death as an old friend and stepped away from the confines of your broken body.

Bucky watched, brokenhearted, as his best friend gently picked up the love of his life and held her body close, sobs wracking through him. Turning away as his own tears fell, Buck went up to tell Natasha and radio back to the compound. The impact to the team would be the worst they have ever had to recover from. You had become their heart. How could the team live without a heart?

 


End file.
